Theatregoer wins trip to New York after surviving ghoulish competition

Thursday 12 May 2011 11:42 BST

Emerging triumphant: Jessica Wright's brother, a marine, gave her tips on how to avoid panicking in the coffin

Being shut inside a coffin, even for a few seconds, is unlikely to be anyone's idea of fun.

But four "fright-lovers" spent an entire night sealed inside the wooden boxes on stage at the Duke of York's Theatre in a competition to win a trip to New York.

They fought claustrophobia and panic as theatre staff tormented them with screams, scratchings and other ghoulish sound effects.

The competition, organised by the producers of hit show Ghost Story, saw more than 300 applicants whittled down to four finalists.

And this morning, graphic designer Jessica Wright emerged victorious after her brother, a marine, advised her on coping with fear.

Ms Wright, of Finsbury Park, said: "I probably got about half an hour's sleep. It was utterly horrendous. My brother gave me some tips and said it is all in the mind but I nearly gave up on a few occasions. I felt like I had been in there for days. That first moment when the lid goes down - you can't imagine how horrible it is."

Ms Wright, who was 30 on Saturday, added: "I have seen the show a few times and when I heard about the competition I thought it would be something fun to do in the last week of being in my twenties. I was really scared."

The theatre itself is reputed to be haunted and the ghost of actress turned manager Violet Melonette is said to mingle with audiences.

Ghost Stories producer Imogen Kinchin said that when the coffin contest was held in Toronto one man left crying after two hours and another "was just whimpering all night long". The show's writers Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson were at the theatre today to congratulate the winner. Mr Nyman said: "I had a quick go, but the idea of spending the night in one (a coffin) is not something I could do."

The finalists - including Dave Harvey, 21, a TV production student from Hertfordshire; gap year student Krystal Dockery, 18; and Alistair Foster, 27, a shop worker from Wolverhampton - saw the show before getting in the coffins at 11 last night. A random draw was held today to decide the winner.